Materials Used for Evaluation

Transcripts reflecting courses taken for the 4-year undergraduate degree, graduate degrees (if applicable), and grades received in undergraduate or graduate courses (if applicable) that are relevant to the program of study of the nominee.

The Graduate School does not require standardized test scores. Scores should not be submitted if they are not required by the program. However, official notification of standardized scores (e.g., GRE and subject specific standardized test scores, GMAT etc.) should be included as an Application Management Engine (AME) sheet from Graduate and Professional Admissions if the program requires standardized test scores and mentions standardized test scores in the justification statement as support for the quality of the nominee.

Nominee’s curriculum vitae summarizing major scholarly pursuits and activities and other experiences including but not limited to publications, presentations, performances, awards, internships etc.

Statement of Purpose to be evaluated according to factors including but not limited to: clarity and quality of writing, non-academic experience, motivation for graduate study and research interest, career goals, and interest in the specific graduate program at The Ohio State University.

Letters of Recommendation - The quality of letters will be assessed from factors such as reputation and/or relevance of recommenders, the intellectual ability of the nominee, the quality and quantity of scholarly work and other attributes of the nominee such as experiences, leadership activities, motivation, work-ethic, overcoming hardship(s), and promise for success in graduate school.  Letters of recommendation used in the admissions application are permitted for use in fellowship nomination packets.

Program Justification Statement - It is the program’s responsibility to provide a narrative describing specific interpretation of the nominee’s credentials, including previous graduate work, if relevant. The statement should be submitted by the Graduate Studies Committee Chair and describe why the nominee represents the highest quality for their program. For the Graduate Enrichment Fellowship, the narrative should include how the nominee could enhance the diversity of the program and/or the Graduate School.

The information for this narrative may be gathered by the program through the following methods:

• Graduate School Admissions Application:
  • personal statements
  • letters of recommendation

• campus visits
• phone contact
• interviews
• surveys
• 15th-day enrollment report and other program-related means.

The justification should include the level of enthusiasm of the program for the applicant (Outstanding, Excellent, Very Good), how the nominee fits into the program’s research emphases, and/or how the applicant can promote programmatic goals or fill existing gaps. Graduate programs should emphasize all relevant attributes of all-around strength, not simply outstanding performance on a single measure.